Issue 468: Reuben Latkes

Not that indulging in fried food is a regular occurrence for me, but if I would, these latkes would be my choice. Besides being super crispy, they are the complete opposite of bland and boring. You can get creative with the toppings, but adding something acidic, like pickles or sauerkraut, is a must to avoid a greasy bite.

Ingredients

Yields about 30 latkes

Latkas

3 lbs (1 /3 kg) Russet potatoes

1 Tbsp potato starch

3 eggs

1½ Tbsp salt

vegetable oil, for frying

Reuben sandwich topper

12 oz (340 g) pastrami, cut into ½-inch slices

1 cup sauerkraut

¼ cup mayonnaise

2 Tbsp ketchup

½ tsp white horseradish

Club Sandwich Topper

12 oz (340 g) turkey breast, cut into ½-inch slices

1 cup shredded iceberg lettuce

2 dill pickles, sliced into thin rounds

2 plum tomatoes, diced

¼ cup mayonnaise

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp lemon juice

pinch of salt

Preparation

Grate the potatoes on the largest holes on a box grater and submerge in cold water until ready to use to prevent oxidation. Squeeze potatoes extremely well until there is no water left on them and combine with potato starch, eggs, and salt.

Heat a frying pan and cover with about 1/8-inch of vegetable oil. Fry an 1/8-of a cup of batter at a time until golden on each side, and drain on paper towels until ready to serve.

For Reuben sandwich topper:

In a frying pan sprayed with cooking spray, cook pastrami in batches until crispy. Combine mayo, ketchup, and horseradish for Russian dressing.

Top each latke with a few pieces of pastrami and a pinch of sauerkraut, and drizzle Russian dressing over the top.